Appellate Defender Robert M. Pachak, of the South Carolina
Commission on Indigent Defense, Division of Appellate Defense, of Columbia, for Petitioner.

Attorney General Henry D. McMaster, Chief Deputy Attorney General
John W. McIntosh, Assistant Deputy Attorney General Salley W. Elliot, and Assistant
Attorney General Ashley McMahan, all of the Office of the Attorney General, of
Columbia, for Respondent.

PER CURIAM: Petitioner seeks a writ of certiorari
from the denial of his application for post-conviction relief (PCR).

Because
there is sufficient evidence to support the PCR judge’s finding that petitioner
did not knowingly and intelligently waive his right to a direct appeal, we
grant the petition for a writ of certiorari and proceed with a review of the
direct appeal issue pursuant to Davis v. State, 288 S.C. 290, 342 S.E.2d
60 (1986).

Counsel
for petitioner has filed a brief pursuant to Anders v. California, 386
U.S. 738 (1967) and a petition to be relieved as counsel. Petitioner has not
filed a prose response. After a thorough review of the record
pursuant to Anders, we dismiss the appeal and grant the petition to be
relieved as counsel.